On Saturday, we join the nation in celebrating Veterans Day and the generations of American service members who swore an oath to the Constitution of the United States to support and defend the principles of liberty, equality, and justice and to preserve and protect our democracy. About six percent of Americans are veterans, and their numbers disproportionately include older adults and people with disabilities — nearly three-quarters are 55 or older, and about a third have a disability.

In this policy-round up: Input Needed for CMS Revised 1915(c) HCBS Waiver Application and Technical Guide (comments due 11/13), Assessing mental health parity and addiction equity compliance in Medicaid and CHIP (comments due 12/4), ACF proposed rule on services and protections for unaccompanied children in its care (comments due 12/4), Coverage of over-the-counter preventative services (comments due 12/4), Census Bureau changes to American Community Survey and Puerto Rico Community Survey (comments due 12/19),HHS 504 proposed rule, stakeholder call recording now available (comments due 11/13)

Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced the launch of the Housing and Services Partnership Accelerator, which will support states in developing or expanding innovative housing-related supports and services for Medicaid-eligible people with disabilities and older adults who are experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness.

October 31st marked 60 years since President John F. Kennedy signed the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (DD Act). The DD Act advanced a fundamentally different vision of what it means to live with a developmental disability. The law empowered people with developmental disabilities and their families to help shape policies that impact them, and it served as the blueprint for many subsequent laws that both protect the rights of people with disabilities and promote independence, integration, and inclusion throughout life.

As National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) draws to a close, we reflect on the role that employment can play in community inclusion for people with disabilities. NDEAM is observed each October to celebrate the contributions of America’s workers with disabilities and to showcase supportive, inclusive employment policies and practices that benefit employers and employees. This year’s NDEAM theme, “Advancing Access and Equity,” speaks to the importance of breaking down barriers and creating opportunities that make employment inclusive of people with disabilities.

ACL’s Eldercare Locator and Disability Information & Access Line (DIAL) are trusted resources that help connect older adults and people with disabilities with resources in their community. In recent days, Eldercare Locator has noted a significant increase in people reporting they have been targeted by scam phone calls.

The purpose of the SBIR Program is to stimulate technological innovation in the private sector, strengthen the role of small business in meeting federal research or research and development needs, and improve the return on investment from federally-funded research for economic and social benefits to the nation.

ACL awarded a total of $985,000 for the first year of six new two-year cooperative agreements addressing elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation in tribal communities. The awardees will focus on identifying community needs; facilitating multidisciplinary activities advancing elder justice; and preventing and responding to abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

ACL's National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) is announcing several new funding opportunities for Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training (ARRT) and Field-Initiated Projects (FIP) programs.

ACL is pleased to announce $3 million in new funding over four years to further advance our support of the 2022 National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers (the Strategy). ACL will award one cooperative agreement for a project of national scope intended to foster advancements in two programs authorized by the Older Americans Act (OAA) — the National Family Caregiver Support Program and the Native American Caregiver Support Program.